Tuesday January 6, 2026
Global Seafood Alliance —
For Maverick Blake, captain of the Alaska pollock fishing vessel Progress, pulling up salmon in a trawl net is nothing short of devastating.
“My heart sinks when that happens,” he said. “In the wheelhouse, my face drops into my hands. All my guys are deflated and looking at their boots. Catching salmon is our worst nightmare.”
Like all pollock trawlers in the Bering Sea, the Progress uses a suite of bycatch prevention measures to keep numbers as low as possible. Its fishing gear includes salmon excluders – built-in devices or modifications to fishing nets that allow salmon to escape while retaining the targeted fish. Fleetwide data sharing helps fishermen avoid hotspots in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska where salmon are present. And 24/7 electronic monitoring or the presence human observers on board the vessels ensure crew accountability every step of the way.